SUMMARY OF

TFEP STOCKTAKE OUTCOMES

(as at 16 December 2008)
This document has been compiled from stock-take responses received by the TFEP Co-Chairs as of 4 th August
2008 (see Attachments for full stocktake responses). It will be used to shape the forward workplan of the TFEP.
The Task Force agreed in Lima in 15 August 2008 that the stocktake analysis would be an evergreen or
living document on the APEC Information Management Portal (AIMP), that economies would update the
stocktake regularly, and that a formal analysis of the stocktake would be undertaken at least every two years.

1. DISASTER IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASESSMENT

i.

Of the 21 APEC member economies, 18 submitted stock-take responses - Australia, Brunei Darussalam,
Canada, China, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New
Zealand, Peru, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, USA, and Vietnam..

ii.

Out of twelve disaster types, the most identified ones are:

Flood
Earthquakes
Typhoons/Hurricanes/Tornados
Urban Fire/Rural/Forest/Bush Fire
Agricultural/Animal Health Emergencies
Population Health Emergencies (such as Pandemics)

2. DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Each member economy already has its own national policy or guidelines for coordinating disaster response and
recovery with variations in institutional strength and internal mechanism. This mechanism lies in legal
frameworks, organization/agencies responsible for disaster management, disaster management partners, and
international frameworks. For some members such as Australia, Canada, Mexico, and USA the legal framework
lies within both national and federal/state level. While others have national law/act/policy or guidelines applicable
to all regions of their economy. Variation also takes place in the type of law. Some member economies opt for
one single and comprehensive law regulating disaster management, e.g. Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Indonesia,
Malaysia (in the drafting process), Peru, and Singapore. Attention should be given to this single law of disaster
management to ensure it covers all phases of disaster management including mitigation, preparedness,
response, and recovery, and encompasses relevant and related areas such as marine pollution, industrial
accidents, land conservation, water supply, measures for floods, earthquake, etc.
In international framework, all member economies have adopted The Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) 20052015. Monitoring should be continued to assure the parallel development of plans and strategies on disaster
reduction and emergency preparedness in all member economies. Some member economies that have more
advanced institutional capacity may provide training to others, e.g. Australia to give training for National Disaster
Management Offices in disaster and risk management; and in disaster preparedness, response and
coordination.

3. DISASTER COORDINATION
Each economy has developed its own system of disaster coordination. Many member economies also take an
international approach to emergency management with an extensive number of international activities
undertaken bilaterally, regionally and globally.
Member economies have varied coordinating platforms for preparedness between disaster management

authorities. Some have it under a government body (Ministry or Department), like Department of Homeland
Security (USA), Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), Federal Attorney General's Department (Australia),
Ministry of Home Affairs (Brunei, Singapore), Ministry of the Interior (Chile, Mexico), and Prime Ministers
Department (Malaysia). Some others have inter-agency coordinating body (ad-hoc) such as China, Chinese
Taipei, HK China, Japan, Peru, Republic of Korea, and Vietnam. Only two member economies have a single
national authority responsible for disaster management (Canada and Indonesia). Trainings on logistical
arrangements and emergency relief assistance are necessary as most member economies, due to geographical
consideration, have two to three tiers of disaster response mechanism (national, provincial, municipal) except for
smaller economies such as Brunei Darussalam and Hong Kong China.
As for early warning centers, most member economies have more than one center to address respective threat.
Few others, though, like Brunei, Japan, and Korea have one agency that provides comprehensive monitoring of
various natural phenomena, including typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis . Malaysia indicated its capacity in
multi-hazard early warning centre (Malaysian Meteorological Department) which disseminate information and
warnings through faxes, fixed line phone and mobile short messaging system to the relevant disaster
management agencies and electronic and print media to the public.
In early response mechanism, most economies have Incident Command System in place when disaster occurs,
although only two economies (Australia and Malaysia) indicate their capacity to provide training. Other member
economies can leverage from their capacities through Training of Trainers on Disaster Management and
International Secondment and Exchange from Australia and Malaysia. Only one economy that have cooperative
and collaborative work with non-state sector in its early response mechanism; Australia. Australian Red Cross is
responsible for NRIS (computer-based national disaster victim registration and inquiry system).
On mechanism for international support in a catastrophic disaster event, five economies appoint Ministry of
Foreign Affairs as the sole channel of accepting/offering international support.

4. DISASTER PREVENTION EDUCATION

Some member economies (Chile, and New Zealand) identified training programs targeted at the
school level. In Chile, besides having Civil Protection Program (a program of Risk Management and
Disaster for public management workers and first response organisms in diferents levels; local, regional and
national) of ONEMI National Emergency Bureau Depending of the Ministry of the Interior, there is also an
Integral School Safety and Security Plan, as a component of the National Reform on Education, launched by the
Chilean Government. ONEMI has designed the Integral School Safety and Security Plan like a clear
contribution to a National Culture on Prevention and Self Protection. The Ministry Civil Defence & Emergency
Management (MCDEM) of New Zealand supports CDEM Groups with their training needs and also currently
offers formal courses twice per year for the key CDEM roles of Controller, Recovery Manager and Public
Information Manager. There are also commercial and non-commercial tertiary education providers that offer
CDEM-related training programmes e.g. preparedness and response course, emergency management, hazard
and disaster management.
Not all member economies have developed a system of disaster prevention education, especially for Emergency
Management Journals and Emergency Management Libraries. The absence of disaster education including
emergency management journals and libraries, in half member economies- may be a gap. Four
economies indicated the need for education awareness training.
Those who have Available Regional/International Disaster Training Centers and Available Protocol of Contacts
with Partners or Economies
i. Australia
ii. Japan
iii. Canada
iv. Chinese Taipei
v. Malaysia
vi. PR China
vii. USA
viii. Indonesia
ix. New Zealand

x.
xi.
xii.
xiii.
xiv.
xv.
xvi.

Peru
Republic of Korea
Vietnam
Singapore
Mexico
Russia
Chile

Available Emergency Management Journals in the Economy:

i. Australia
ii. Japan
iii. Canada
iv. Chinese Taipei
v. Malaysia
vi. PR China
vii. USA
viii. New Zealand
ix. Peru
x. Republic of Korea
xi. Vietnam
Available Emergency Libraries in the Economies:
i. Australia
ii. Chinese Taipei
iii. Malaysia
iv. PR China
v. Republic of Korea
vi. USA
vii. New Zealand
viii. Peru
ix. Vietnam

5. BEST PRACTICE
Gender/Women
Some economies have successfully integrated gender conscious disaster prevention into their disaster
risk management practices, in the forms of group discussion and training of women community leaders on
disaster preparedness (Malaysia), inclusion of women's role in the policy making process and disaster prevention
plans (Japan), improvement of information collection system by incorporating gender-sensitive measure such as
households survey (Chile). This is also a training need chosen by 5 economies.

Tourism
Tourism infrastructure and services are subject to hazard risk management and occupational health and
safety management just like all other aspects of the economy and community services. PR China has an
excellent practice in applying insurance for tourists when they travel in groups. Most economies have advanced
system of travel safety information to their people travelling, working and living abroad.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

SMEs in some economies rely on the well-established measures and systems in place for
early
warning, emergency response and information dissemination, which are operated by relevant Government
agencies. Only 5 economies identified their best practices in this area.

Fisheries and Marine Coastal

Some economies make guidelines for the disaster prevention of the fishery areas and communities. The
China Meteorological Bureau monitors and forecasts the weather conditions. Maritime New Zealand has a wellestablished National Oil Pollution Response Strategy to cope with marine oil spill and new organism biosecurity
threats Indonesia conducts training and study on disaster mitigation.

Business Participation and Public-Private Partnership

Half economies (the other half of respondents did not identify their best practices) have a certain degree
of business participation and public-private partnership which provide a forum for information sharing and
collaborative activities with respect to disaster preparedness and mitigation. Best practices initiatives include
moves of insurance companies in China to promote stronger disaster resistance of property by reducing the
compensation fees when people buy insurance. With respect to responding to natural disasters abroad, the
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade provides advice to Canadian companies on how best to
support affected communities. More knowledge sharing is recommended as this topic is chosen by 6 economies
as training need.

Critical Infrastructure

In case of disaster situations, basic services such as transportation and telecommunication must retain
their functionality. All economies have their own arrangements to ensure this. These arrangements include
developing system for emergencies, making communication plans, conducting training of communication and
taking other necessary measures. Seven economies chose this as one of the training needs.

6. TRAINING PROGRAMS
APEC member economies were asked to identify their training needs from a list of thirty possible areas. Of the
eighteen economies that returned the stocktake, twelve identified specific training needs. Of those twelve, ten
were developing economies. The responses identified a range of high-priority areas for training and several
favoured training approaches.
The priority areas identified for capacity building and training initiatives included:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Community Emergency Preparedness (7 economies)

Logistic Arrangement for Disaster Management (7)
Critical Infrastructure Protection (7)
Vulnerability and risk assessment/risk map analysis (6)
Community based disaster risk management (6)
Multi hazard early warning systems (6)
Quick response teams (6)
Mass casualty incident management (6)
Emergency relief assistance (6)
Community awareness campaigns/programs (6)
Private sector involvement in disaster risk reduction (6)

When referring to disaster management, respondents variously meant: legal and/or policy frameworks; divisions
of responsibilities among internal agencies; inter-agency cooperation, including interaction between government,
non-government agencies, business and the community; critical infrastructure; and, and early response systems.
The preferred training approaches included:
1. Sharing Disaster Management Best Practices (8)
2. Training of Trainers on Disaster Management (7)
3. International Secondment and Exchange (7)
TFEP members listed the following
training capacities in their economies, which could potentially provide the curricula, knowledge, specialists for
APEC initiatives:
1.Community Emergency Preparedness (CEPP): Malaysia, Australia
2.Community Based Disaster Management: Malaysia

3.Vulnerability & Risk Assessment/Risk Map Analysis: Malaysia, Australia

4.Disaster Preparedness Planning: China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia
5.Contingency Planning: Malaysia, Vietnam
6.Disaster Management Best Practices: Malaysia
7.Training of Trainers on Disaster Management: Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia
8.Disaster Risk Reduction: Malaysia, Vietnam
9.Community-based Disaster Risk Management: Malaysia
10.Tsunami Emergency Drill: Malaysia
11.Multi Hazard Early Warning System: China
12.Role of the Media in Disasters: Vietnam, Australia
13.Women's Role in Disaster Management: Malaysia, China
14.The Effect on Women of Disasters and Disaster Management: Malaysia, China,Vietnam
15. Search and Rescue: Australia
16.Quick Response Team: China
17.Mass Casualty Incident Management: China, Australia
18.Damage & Need Assessment: Vietnam, Australia
19.Incident Command System: Malaysia, Australia
20 Emergency Relief Assistance: Australia
21.Logistic Arrangement in Disaster Management: China
22.Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery: China, Australia
23 Land Use Planning for Risk Reduction: Australia
24 Critical Infrastructure Protection: Australia
25 Business Continuity: Australia
26 International Exchange / Secondment: Australia
27.Community Awareness Programs/Campaigns: Malaysia, Australia
28.School Education Awareness Programs/Campaigns: Malaysia, Australia
29.Private Sector Involvement in Disaster Risk Reduction: China, Australia
30.International Humanitarian System/Humanitarian Reform: Canada
31.Disaster insurance: China, Australia
32.Disaster rescue appliance and exhibition: China
33 Radiological Preparedness Planning: Australia